The Davidic Covenant

(2 Sam 7:1-16)

1. Characteristics

a. A Covenant of Grace

b. An unconditional Covenant

c. A covenant God made with David and his descendants, physical and spiritual

d. A covenant partially fulfilled in Christ

e. A covenant not completely fulfilled until the Millennial Kingdom

2. The Unfolding Revelation of The Davidic Covenant

a. God began by narrowing the promise to the children of Abraham, then to the descendents of Issac, then to the descendents of Jacob.

b. Judah Selected from the sons of Jacob—Gen 49:8-10

c. David Selected from the sons of Judah—1 Sam 16:1-13

d. God Made The Covenant—(1 Chr 17:11-14

e. God has a great history with David

(1) He took David From nowhere to somewhere—and in this citation here The Holy Spirit uses the military covenant term for God—Jehovah Sabaoth—the LORD of Hosts (see Josh 5:13ff)—God’s Military Rank!

(2) 2 Sam 7:8-9 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. 9And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you.

f. God makes several promises in this passage.

(1) He promised to make David’s name great like the major players—and so He did—“…and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth…” Though David is famous to a point, he is not considered with the great kings of history.—This is yet to be fulfilled

(2) He promises to plant and protect David’s flock— 10And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 11from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies.” Israel has never had rest from her enemies—the fulfillment of this is future as well.

(3) God will “make” a house—there are several possibilities here for an exact meaning—but since the predominant theme of this passage is the future, “house” probably means a dynasty, a succession of kings—“…Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house..”.

3. The problem of—17:12-16—

a. What we see in this passage is the Eternal Kingdom and the Earthly Kingdom intertwined .

b. The Earthly Kings and the Earthly Kingdom

(1) As Israel was dispersed, the kingly line was as well—Joseph and Mary knew their lines, but the lines were not remembered through successive generations of the half brothers of Christ.

(2) Someone might argue that the earthly promises have not been kept, that the line of kings is dead—the Bible does not even allow such a possibility.

(3) Just because we cannot locate the Kingly line and prove their ancestry does not mean that God can’t do so!

(4) The actual Earthly rule of the Davidic line of kings is not now in effect, but where was Israel before 1948?

(5) Even now, somewhere in the world, there is a Hebrew Christian man who is the true descendant of King David, and who is serving God in his own humble way, though he does not know who he is.

c. The problem of the Descendant and the descendant—

(1) At least part of this passage must apply to Christ, because the New Testament says that it does— (Heb 1:5) "For to which of the angels did He ever say: "You are My Son, Today I have begotten You"? And again: "I will be to Him a Father, And He shall be to Me a Son"?"

(2) First is Christ—down through the middle of verse 14, and with verse 16. (2 Sam 7:12-16) ""When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 "He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 "I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. 16 "And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever."' ""

(3) The totality of Christ’s Kingdom is not yet established—as He told Pilate—but He will establish His Kingdom on Earth in the future. (John 18:36) "Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.""

(4) Second, is Solomon, and the earthly line of kings, who, because of sin, did not see success in the long run—

(a) “…If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. 15 "But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you…”

(b) (1 Chr 22:9-10) "'Behold, a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies all around. His name shall be Solomon, for I will give peace and quietness to Israel in his days. 10 'He shall build a house for My name, and he shall be My son, and I will be his Father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.'"

(5) The problem of the “chastisement” passage

(a) This cannot refer to Christ as committing His own sin, so this must apply to Solomon, who did sin, as did even the best of his descendents—types are never perfect, remember.

(b) However, it could refer to Christ becoming sin for us, and suffering. “…I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men…”

(c) Parallel that statement with these

(Isa 53) “….5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted…… led as a lamb to the slaughter… For the transgressions of My people He was stricken. …10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; …He shall bear their iniquities. 12 …He was numbered with the transgressors…”

(2 Cor 5:21) "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

4. Context—General Theological Impact of the Davidic Covenant

a. Much more weight added to the Truth that the Old Testament promises to Israel are to be taken literally and they will be fulfilled literally.

b. The Doctrine of the Person of Christ—Jesus is both Son of David and Lord of David, a quandary that the Pharisees could not answer, but the New Testament has an answer.

(Mat 22:41-46) "While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 saying, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?" They said to Him, "The Son of David." 43 He said to them, "How then does David in the Spirit call Him 'Lord,' saying: 44 'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool"'? 45 "If David then calls Him 'Lord,' how is He his Son?" 46 And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore."

(1) Given the totality of New Testament revelation, we can answer this question solely based on Christology.

(2) He is David’s son because in His humanity, He is descended from David

(3) He is David’s Lord because He is the Son of God as well as Son of Man—(Mat 1:1) "The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:"

c. The Work of Christ—Jesus is Prophet (Dt 18:15), Priest (Heb 9) and King—Rev 19:16. That He is from the line of David explains how He can be all three.

d. Eschatology—the study of last things—The Davidic Covenant in particular is meaningless and empty without a literal future earthly kingdom.

(1) First Advent Eschatological passages—that preceded Jesus first coming

(2) Second Advent Eschatological passages—that look ahead to the Rapture, the Glorious Appearing, the Final Rebellion, and the Kingdom of Heaven.

5. The Application of the Covenant

a. The Annunciation to Mary

b. O, Thou Son of David— “…and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:"

(1) The Giver of the Throne—this makes the fulfillment of the Covenant a certainty.
(2) The Davidic Covenant— “…the throne of his father David:"

c. The Identification of Christ as David’s Son.

(1) The New Testament begins by tying both Covenants of promise to Christ Jesus—Mat 1:1 "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham."

(2) He was of David’s line legally through his step father, and actually through His mother. (Luke 1:27) "to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary." (Luke 1:32) ""He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David."

(Luke 1:69) "And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of His servant David,"

(3) Many people so recognized Him as the Son of David, and Jesus never contradicted that identification.

Mat 9:27 "And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us."

Mat 12:23 "And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?"

(Mat 1:1) "The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:"

(Mat 21:9) "Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: "Hosanna to the Son of David! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' Hosanna in the highest!""

(4) Peter, in his Pentecost sermon, establishes Christ as David’s Son—Acts 2:22-31

(5) There are several references in the epistles as well, including verses that establish David as a prophet.

(Rom 1:3) "concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh,"

(2 Tim 2:8) "Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel,"

(Rom 4:6) "just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:"

(Rom 11:9) "And David says: "Let their table become a snare and a trap, A stumbling block and a recompense to them."

(Heb 4:7) "again He designates a certain day, saying in David, "Today," after such a long time, as it has been said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.""

(Heb 11:32) "And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets:"

6. The New Covenant Fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant— Luke 1:33 "And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end."

a. The Order of covenant work—Acts

(1) God taking a people for Himself out of the Gentiles—Acts 15:7-11

(2) The Tabernacle of David being raised again—Acts 15:14-17—see Rom 11:25-26

b. He Shall Reign over the Earth—(Zec 14:9) "And the LORD shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be; "The LORD is one," And His name one."

(1) The house of Jacob—the continuation of the Abrahamic Covenant—Eph 2:11-20, Rom 2:28-29

(2) His future Reign is a certainty

(3) A Day has been appointed for His Reign to begin

b. The characteristics of the reign

(1) Israel will be converted in the last days

Zec 12:10 "And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn."

c. Eschatological passages about this great covenant
(Isa 11:1) "There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots."
(Jer 23:5) ""Behold, the days are coming," says the LORD, "That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth."
(Jer 33:15) "'In those days and at that time I will cause to grow up to David A Branch of righteousness; He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the earth."(See total reference, 33:14-26)

(Rev 5:5) "But one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.""

(Rev 22:16) ""I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.""